


floating upon the surface

by lostin_space



Series: Roswell New Mexico Week 2019 [1]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: M/M, POV Outsider, Roswell New Mexico Week 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-10 19:51:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19911247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostin_space/pseuds/lostin_space
Summary: max finds out about michael and alex.---DAY 1 of RNNweek19: when we were young





	floating upon the surface

Max really should’ve known. **  
**

There had been countless moments that he could’ve put things together. He didn’t think twice about the times Michael would disappear randomly, nor did he ever question why he would catch Michael staring in the direction of Liz Ortecho and her friends. Max had always been more concerned with his own problems that he never even considered the possibility that Michael may have had some of his own.

“Is Michael here?” Max asked Sanders. He’d spent the afternoon searching for Michael so they could discuss the details of what exactly they would tell Isobel when she inevitably asked about the night Rosa died. It was crazy to think that was already two months ago. He still was getting nightmares.

“Uh, he went on break, but he should be around here somewhere,” Sanders informed him, not even looking up when he spoke. Max nodded his head before heading around back where Michael usually parked.

Max thankfully was able to hide behind a broken-down truck when he realized Michael wasn’t alone.

All Max saw was the back of Michael’s head with painted fingernails weaved through his curls. The soft sound of sniffling cutting through the air and Max listened in closely. Michael was shaking.

“No,” Michael insisted softly, but all the intent in the world was there. “No, you can’t go.”

“I don’t have a choice.” Max’s eyebrows pulled together as he realized that, not only that the other person was a guy, but was Alex Manes.

“You’re eighteen, he can’t tell you what to do,” Michael said. Max’s head was aching alongside the sound of his brother crying. They hadn’t spoken much since that night, but that didn’t change the fact that he cared about him. Hearing him, _feeling_ him cry was painful he wasn’t used to.

“You know that’s not how he works.” Alex murmured softly, stroking Michael’s hair. He grabbed Michael’s torn up hand with surprising gentleness, kissing the gauze before holding it to his heart.

“Then let’s run off and get married, then he can’t say shit,” Michael insisted with a level of seriousness that overtook Max’s body. Would Michael really do that? Would he actually run away with Alex Manes? After everything that had happened and how much Isobel needed them?

Somehow, Alex just gave a sad little smile.

“Yeah, then he’ll hunt us down. I have to leave,” Alex whispered. Michael whimpered and his knees gave out. Alex caught him effortlessly and wrapped him up in his arms, holding him against his chest.

Max made sure to duck further down as Alex Manes tried his best to console Michael. It was so odd. Of all the situations they’d been in together, including four murders, and he had never seen him like that. And over Alex Manes? How long had that even been happening?

Prom was the first thing that came to mind. Michael typically went out of his way to blend into the background, trying his best to go unnoticed. Him stepping between Alex and Valenti had been weird, but he didn’t really think much of it at the time. Then again, he had Liz on the brain.

But, still, aside from a few things, Max couldn’t understand it. Maybe it should’ve been obvious and maybe it would’ve been if he’d known Michael was gay. Or whatever he was. Girls liked Michael and Michael had always seemed to like girls. He was the kind of guy they’d sneak over through the window, but never brought to meet their parents unless they were intentionally trying to piss them off. Max only knew that because Michael had _bragged_ about it before. Hell, Michael was the one to learn they could even have sex with humans and nothing bad would happen. He never would’ve guessed he was into guys.

But here he was.

“I love you, you know that, don’t you?” Alex cooed to him, just loud enough for Max to overhear. His heart was beating loud in his ears, a wave of appreciation for Alex Manes washing over him. Michael deserved someone to love him like that.

“I love you too,” Michael whispered.

And, just like that, the appreciation he felt was replaced by complete and utter fear. What if Michael told him? Max knew firsthand how hard it was to love someone and lie. He couldn’t even imagine lying to someone who loved him just as much right back.

“We’ll be okay. This isn’t it for us,” Alex promised, kissing his head. Michael finally regained the strength to hold himself up again, resting his forehead on Alex’s.

“Can I see you again before you leave? I-I don’t want the last time you see me to be me being really pathetic,” Michael said. Alex smiled as bright as the sun, grabbing Michael’s face in his hands.

“How about I just stay with you until I have to go?” Alex offered. Michael’s shoulders relaxed.

Max couldn’t hear what they said after that, all he knew was that he was feeling more and more like this wasn’t for his eyes. Obviously, it wasn’t. Yet them leaning against each other in silence, their eyes closed and just sharing space seemed more intimate than anything he’d ever seen and it made him want to look away. It felt too personal, too adult, too serious for a pair of 18-year-olds.

Max turned away, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. He didn’t know what to do about what he’d seen. Clearly, if Alex knew, he didn’t care. That didn’t seem plausible. It felt like his situation with it all over again only worse. What was stopping Michael from admitting what they were and what they’d done? Especially if Alex was supposedly leaving. Wouldn’t he want to clear the air? Max did with Liz. And they all knew how close Alex was with Rosa.

Michael had somehow managed to make an even worse decision than Max himself. They needed to talk about this before the Isobel thing. This took precedence.

However, when he glanced back, he was hit in the gut with how lovingly Alex was staring at his brother. This pure adoration was so heavy that it had Max feeling nothing short of envious. That envy burst into giant red flames when they kissed, fitting together so seamlessly that it was almost like they were born for it. Max didn’t have that‒most people didn’t, especially not at eighteen. Michael was blessed. Max didn’t have it in him to ruin that, even if it was risking their safety. If Michael had that, had someone to love him like that even for a moment… It was worth it.

God, seriously, how did he not know?


End file.
